Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-17
A pAWNBROKER'S SHOP.
SCENES IN A PLACE WHERE MONEY
is MADE OUT OF MISERY.

is MADE OUT OF MISERY.
Steps on a Downhiu Road-PiedSins ,
Wedding Ring-The Slow March from
Wealth to roycrty-Much Profit fol
Little Outlay.
\ pawnbroker was 5usily engaged yes
terday afternoon looking through his
books in his shop on the Bowery. neal
Hester street. One of Inspector Byrncs'
detectives stood at his elbow, looking over
the book also. The detective was looking
Tor some stolen property, which he had
been Informed had been planted in this
place. While they were running over the
items, there WAS sharp ring Of the Office
door bell. and n woman walked slowly to
tn, counter. Her clothes were a faded
black and torn in places. There was
nothing hut sadness in the pinChed lines
in her face. and her ,maClatrd body and
trembling hands told a story Of Woe and
misery. louder than words She started
back a pace or two, as the pawnhrOker
stepped nimhly in front of her from be
hind his desk. rs IL half inclined to get
away from the place altogether There
were tears in her eyes when she went back
to the counter. and She turned her face
partly around from the pawnbroker, to
hide her emotion. There is little scnti-
men; in the paWuhrokcr's heart and he
tapped nerynu>ly ON the counter. waiting
for the woman TO say or do something
After moments mental struggle she
took a heavy gold ring from her finger
and pushed il toward the money lender
IL waS her wedding ring. The pawn
broker examined thc ring loosely. weighed
il ana tested its quality with acid Being
satisfied that it WAS genuine. lie laid 81
and a ticket on the counter. lie did not
ask the woman'S name. she had been to
see him before. She clUtchcd the money
quickly and hurried away. trying vainly
Ia Keep hack the sohs that wcl!ed up into
her throat
We'll. that's the end of her" said the
pawnhrokCr. aS the smile of Shylock
spread over his face and raised wrinkles
on his bald head.
what do yDu mcaRs' he was asked.
at means that I've lost her trade and
will probably never see her again. No
matter how hard the luck "a woman i in the
last thing to 20 is the wedding ring Her
husband may have been worthless
scoundrel. but she will stick 10 the ring
until there is nothing else Ia pawn. /
pawEbrcSer is Il constant witness of the
decline Of the human race. or at least a
certain portion Of it. Watching the slow
march from wealth In poverty is his daily
amusement. Take the case of this
woman. 1t is a typical one. She came
here first about two years ago. She WAS
then gay, well dressed, and had diamonds
in her ears and on her fingers. She threw
of a 6iamOng ring with careless air and
asked for r loan. explaining that it WAS
only q temporary affair. and that she
would he in in 4 few days and redeem it,
She came back again, not To redeem. but
TO pledge more Of her property. She kept
coming from time 10 time. until now,
when all her jewelry and clothing of any
valne is in pawn. | have watched this
thing thousands o. times in my forty
wears experience, and its al old story"
''Wha; leads people 10 pawn their prop
ertyg''
In ninety nine out of 100 cases rum
and opium. II it were not for these things
would walk the whole year
round and have little fat on their ribs
The liquor dealer Is the pawnbroker's
best friend \ loan rarely exceeds one
third the marketable value of the goods.
Ii Is a rare thing for a woman 10 redeem
goods. Men sometimes do wher the prop
erty is valuable, or. what is oftener tine
case. they sell the ticket to some friend,
who redeems the goods because he usually
gets a bargain. Some people have pas
sion for pawning things. There is no ne
rcssity for them Ia do SO, but it comes
from an eccentric mental condition. such
as IS found in kleptomaniac, and they
cannot help it"
.'Do You have many visits from thieves |
with stolen goods
Not as many rs is commonly supposed |
We have our eyes open all the time for |
stolen goods, as ii is not pleasant to have |
the reputation of keeping a fence The !
pawnbroker is an adjunct of the detective I
liiice. and frequently gives evidence which /
eads Ia the detection of thieves Ii has |
been done so often that thieves look with !
suspicion on n pawnbroker, and when |
hey have any goods 10 dispose of usually |
melt them for old gold or silver. or take |
hem to another city and pawn them. |
Not Il day passes that an attempt is not |
made To swindle the poor pawIbroker by |
rying 10 get a loan on some ralueless |
stuff II j not often that we get caught |
because we have a test for everything. \ |
has To have Il good knowledge |
# valUes. both Of new and second hand |
goods, in order Ia get all there is in n bar |
gain. IL is hard sometimes to hear poor |
wretch begging for few more pennies |
advance on a loan. but il 5 not hard TO re |
use when it is remembered that the less |
money these people have the better they |
are of. Take it al the best. n pawnshop |
5 gloomy place and il only shows the |
unpleasant side Of human nature"
''ls there any money in the busineSsf"
Upon every package in a pawnshop is |
written N. M This is usually taken 10 |
mean misery and money, and it's safe TO
,ay that the pawner gets the misery and |
he rawnhroker the money. | challenge
-ou 10 find Il starving pawnbrokcr in the
,ity. There is uo business in which there
: So much money made on the capital in
'ested. II is all profit. There can he no
oss, as for every 81 put out there are So
pledged. New York Tribune.